I tried basically everything to block my partner's snoring while sleeping - here's what actually worked
Heads up this is a long post! TLDR; tried everything to block snoring and other noise, finally found the best solution for me as a back sleeper is over-the-ear headphones with ANC.
A little background/context before I review everything I've tried:
My partner snores. And unfortunately, his snoring is not consistent. The more exhausted he is, the louder he snores, so by the end of his work week, it can be particularly brutal.
I'm also a very sensitive sleeper. I wake up easily from sounds, and I've noticed this has gotten worse as I've gotten older. So we're not talking about "occasionally annoying background noise." Certain sounds can genuinely wake me up and keep me awake.
And it's not just the snoring. I'm also trying to block out things like cars outside, loud music from neighbors, and household noises - coffee being made in the kitchen, someone getting a late-night snack, etc. Basically, once I'm asleep, I would prefer the world to kindly leave me the hell alone.
We've also tried addressing the source of the snoring. My partner tried a mouth guard, which he absolutely hated and did not continue using. He has also never gone to the doctor to be evaluated for sleep apnea, because he is, in the most stereotypical dude way possible, apparently committed to not going to the doctor.
So over time, I've tried pretty much every category of product I could think of:
- Foam earplugs
- Silicone earplugs
- Soundcore A40 earbuds
- SleepPhones headband
- Sleeping in the guest room
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 over-ear headphones
I'm going to review each one based on actual overnight use, particularly noise blocking, comfort, whether I could stay asleep wearing it, and whether it was actually practical for a real night's sleep.
I am primarily a back sleeper and turn my head slightly to each side throughout the night too. I play pink noise during the night to help block noise, on any of the headphones/earbuds products. I'm going to rate things based on 5 stars.
# 1. Foam earplugs
- Noise blocking: 2.5 stars
- Comfort overnight: 2.5 stars
- Biggest pro: Cheap.
- Biggest con: Uncomfortable.
I feel like I've finally learned something important about myself through this whole experiment: I cannot have anything sitting inside my ear canal while I'm trying to sleep.
I genuinely don't understand how people sleep comfortably with foam earplugs or earbuds. For me, they're uncomfortable enough that they become their own distraction, and I'm constantly aware that something is in my ear.
The noise blocking also wasn't impressive enough *for me* to make the discomfort worthwhile. They reduced some environmental noise, but they didn't magically make the snoring disappear.
I also don't love the idea of having my ear canals occluded for hours every night. Earplugs aren't inherently dangerous, but irritation, trapped moisture, and hygiene can potentially contribute to ear problems, so that's another reason I personally don't want to rely on them long-term.
Verdict: Not for me. If you can comfortably sleep with foam earplugs, I'm honestly jealous.
# 2. Silicone earplugs
- Noise blocking: 2.5 stars
- Comfort overnight: 2.5 stars
- Biggest pro: They seal over the outside of your ear instead of going inside the ear canal.
- Biggest con: The pressure from that seal gets uncomfortable after a while.
These were definitely better than foam earplugs in some ways. They don't go inside your ear, so I could tilt my head or even lay partly on my ear more comfortably. They also provided decent noise blocking.
BUT...the seal.
Because they cover the opening of your ear, they create this weird pressure that made my ear feel uncomfortable and kind of closed off. I know some people really like these, but for me, that feeling became too noticeable to sleep with all night.
I used them for a few nights, but eventually gave up because the pressure wasn't worth the moderate amount of noise blocking.
Verdict: Better than foam earplugs for me, but still not something I could use long-term. If you don't like putting things inside your ears but don't mind having them sealed shut, these might work for you. Personally, they were still too uncomfortable to sleep in all night.
# 3. Soundcore A40 earbuds
- Noise blocking: 4.5 stars
- Comfort overnight: 2 stars
- Biggest pro: Amazing active noise cancellation.
- Biggest con: They're still earbuds, and apparently my ears have decided they want nothing to do with that.
These had by far the best noise blocking of anything I'd tried up to this point. The active noise cancellation is genuinely impressive, and they did a great job reducing both snoring and other environmental noise.
Unfortunately, I ran into the exact same problem I had with foam earplugs: I just cannot comfortably sleep with something inside my ear canals.
They're fine for a while, but after a few hours, I become very aware that they're there, and eventually they're uncomfortable enough to wake me up or make it harder to stay asleep.
So this was one of those frustrating situations where the product itself worked really well, but it didn't work for me as a sleep solution.
Verdict: Great ANC, terrible fit for my particular sleep preferences. If you can comfortably sleep with earbuds, I would absolutely consider these worth trying. If you're like me and hate having anything in your ear for hours, the excellent noise cancellation doesn't really matter.
# 4. SleepPhones headband
- Noise blocking: 3 stars
- Comfort overnight: 5 stars
- Biggest pro: Extremely comfortable for sleeping.
- Biggest con: No active noise cancellation.
This is the product that actually worked best for me for a long time, before I eventually bought the Bose headphones.
SleepPhones are basically flat speakers built into a soft, stretchy headband. There is no active noise cancellation. I have actually had mine for years and have the older wired version that plugs directly into my phone rather than the Bluetooth version.
What makes these work so well for me is that I can play white noise through them to mask outside sounds. They're incredibly comfortable, and I can very easily sleep all night wearing them. Unlike earbuds or earplugs, I'm not constantly aware that something is inside or pressing on my ears.
The biggest downside is obviously the lack of active noise cancellation. They're masking noise rather than actually canceling it, so there's a limit to how much they can do.
They're also a little warm. If it's hot outside, wearing a soft headband around your head all night isn't exactly ideal. 😂
And unfortunately, there's another limitation: really loud snoring.
On nights when my partner is especially exhausted and therefore snoring *LOUD*, the SleepPhones just aren't enough. The white noise can drown out a lot of everyday environmental noise, but when the snoring reaches maximum volume, I will still wake up.
Verdict: 5 stars for comfort, and probably my favorite sleep solution for years. They're fantastic for masking normal household and environmental noise, and I can actually sleep all night wearing them. But they have a ceiling: when the snoring gets REALLY loud, they're not enough.
# 5. Sleeping in the guest room
- Noise blocking: 5 stars
- Comfort overnight: 5 stars
- Biggest pro: Silence. And actual uninterrupted sleep.
- Biggest con: You're sleeping away from your partner.
After a *lot* of trial and error, a lot of disrupted sleep, and a lot of conversations with my partner, I eventually got to the point where I started sleeping in the guest room.
This wasn't an easy decision.
I would sleep in the guest room on nights when I had to work the next morning because I need to be well rested to do my job safely and do it well. On weekend nights, I'd sleep in our bedroom.
At first, honestly, I was kind of excited about it. I was so desperate for good-quality sleep that I didn't really see what the big deal was. Separate rooms = sleep. Problem solved.
My partner, however, really didn't like it.
And I want to emphasize that he wasn't a dick about it or trying to make me feel guilty. He just genuinely didn't like us sleeping separately. It made him sad.
And after a few months, I started to understand why.
I missed the little everyday bonding that happens when you share a bedroom. Before we go to sleep, we usually lay in bed together—he'll be on his laptop and I'll read my book. We don't necessarily even talk the whole time. It's just...being together.
I missed my room. I missed our bed. I missed feeling him next to me. I missed those little moments that had always been part of our nightly routine.
So while the guest room was by far the most effective solution for actually getting uninterrupted sleep, it came with a pretty significant downside: I didn't want to have to choose between sleeping well and sharing a bed with my partner.
Verdict: 5 stars for sleep. 💔 for romance.
It works but for me, it wasn't the long-term solution I wanted.
# 6. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 over-ear headphones
- Noise blocking: 5 stars
- Comfort overnight: 4.5 stars
- Biggest pro: Excellent active noise cancellation without putting anything inside my ears.
- Biggest con: You have to figure out the pillow situation.
And finally...the Bose.
These are the headphones that ultimately solved the problem for me.
The active noise cancellation is really, really good. They block out the snoring better than anything else I've tried, and they also do a great job with all the other random noises that used to wake me up—cars outside, neighbors, kitchen noises, etc.
But the biggest thing for me is that they're over-ear headphones. After trying foam earplugs, silicone earplugs, and earbuds, I had pretty much accepted that I cannot sleep comfortably with anything inside my ear canal. These completely eliminate that problem.
The pillow matters. A LOT.
Im still actually fine tuning the pillow setup. I have a thin and narrow pillow that just supports my neck and head and doesn't touch the earcups. This allows the headphones to sit comfortably around my ears without putting pressure on them when I turn my head slightly. Works great.
I also bought a pillow that has large ear hole cut outs to accommodate headphones BUT it's too tall, so it hurts my neck. So I'm going to modify it to make it less tall. So TBD on this one.
So there you have it! This is the first time I've had a solution that gives me both things I really wanted: serious noise reduction AND the ability to stay in bed with my partner.
Hope this helps some people out there!